Cincinnati Children's names new Child Health Equity center after former CEO Fisher
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is expanding its goal of health equity for "all of the region's kids" with its newly launched Michael Fisher Center for Child Health Equity.
The center, which recognizes the departing president and CEO, will anchor Cincinnati Children’s current collaboration efforts and partnership with families, community members, schools, social service agencies, businesses, and government to address social factors that influence child health, hospital officials said Monday.
The Michael Fisher Center for Child Health Equity will help Cincinnati Children's enhance these partnerships, said Mark Jahnke, the Cincinnati Children's board chair. He noted that naming the center for Fisher, who is dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion, is fitting.
“We are excited about the promise this venture holds for kids throughout our region and beyond,” Jahnke said.
Fisher said, “This is an honor I will cherish for the rest of my life. I love Cincinnati Children’s, I love this community, and I love all kids."
Fisher left his position on Nov. 22 after serving 12 years as chief executive, and before that he was a member of the board for five years. He was succeeded by Dr. Steve Davis, who previously was Cincinnati Children's chief operating officer.
The medical center announced the launch of the center at a recent meeting of the hospital's board.
Its goal is to address social factors that influence child health – from education to economic mobility to emotional wellbeing – so that kids and their families can be safe and reach their full potential, officials said.
Cincinnati Children's said the center will ensure make certain that children's health outcomes are "excellent and equitable," by eliminating disparities by race and ZIP code.
Cincinnati Children's physicians have long focused on health inequality. The hospital system's Gamble Vaccine Research Center provided COVID-19 vaccine clinics in underserved communities earlier this year. And two recent studies by Cincinnati Children's specialists illustrate the inequities that Black children in the community face.
“Improving the health of all kids and families at the earliest stages is essential to building a foundation for lifelong health,” said Dr. Tina Cheng, chair of the department of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s. “With the establishment of the Michael Fisher Center for Child Health Equity, we, as an organization, are reaffirming that this is our highest priority and that we will continue to invest in a more elevated and fully integrated way.”
The center is committed to measurable and continuous improvement in equity for children, officials said, and will serve as a catalyst for new knowledge and innovations. It is expected to create equitable care for children with its partnerships and community stakeholders, said Nerissa Morris, the hospital system's chief human resources and diversity officer. "It’s going to be a rich and fruitful collaboration.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Children's names equity center after Michael Fisher
